DVDs help Alfred N’Diaye get up to Premier League speed

ON THE BALL: Alfred N'Diaye

Published:10:42Wednesday 27 February 2013

ALFRED N’DIAYE is undergoing a DVD tutorial on his Sunderland displays to ease his transition to Premier League football.

Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill has been eager to integrate N’Diaye into the fold since arriving in a £3.8million deal from Turkish side Bursaspor last month, with the French midfielder starting each of the Black Cats’ last five games.

But the 22-year-old admits the English game is very different to his experiences either in Turkey or at boyhood employers, Nancy, in the French top flight.

To help him settle, N’Diaye is doing extra homework with first-team coach Steve Walford, who analyses each game alongside the France Under-21 midfielder and identifies areas for improvement.

“I’ve played five or six games now and I know more about the football in England,” said N’Diaye.

“But after the games, the coach (Walford) shows me the video so I can see what is good and what is not good.

“He points out when I have taken the ball and done well – and when I’ve done something wrong, too!

“That’s been a big help to me, because I have only been here a month and I am still learning about the Premier League.”

Sunderland have lacked physical bite in the middle of the park this season and the 6ft 2in N’Diaye was recruited to address that void.

And N’Diaye believes his game is more suited to the Premier League, than the style prevalent in either Turkey or France.

“It’s not the same style here,” he said. “In fact it is very different.”

“The football is a lot faster here and every team you play against attacks 100 per cent of the time.

“But I like that and I prefer it. In France, it is more tactical and the game is slower.

“I think my style is better suited to England.

“When I was in France, people said to me they thought I would do well in England and I hope to prove them right.”